Postponed: South Africa’s performance during its dual tenure at UNSC & AU: DIRCO briefing

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International Relations

03 March 2021
Chairperson: Mr T Mpanza (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

In a virtual meeting, the Committee was supposed to meet with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on SA’s performance in its dual tenure at the UN Security Council and African Union however the meeting was postponed as the Acting Director-General (DG) was not present.

Members expressed their unanimous dissatisfaction with the late apology submitted by the Acting DG. It was said the Acting DG was in place for a while yet could not attend her first meeting with the Portfolio Committee. It was said the DG cannot send deployees to the Committee without informing the Chairperson. The DG and Minister accounts to this Committee and so must prioritise meetings of this Committee. Just sending deployees without informing the Chairperson is disrespectful. Members said the problems run deep in DIRCO and it was only reasonable that the Acting DG attend this meeting. Members said the Committee has been played for the last two years and it is disappointing because DIRCO has one of the biggest budgets. There is no accountability within the Department. They said there has always been a culture of disrespect by DIRCO for this Committee and Members need to put a stop to it.

Meeting report

Chairperson Mpanza opened the meeting and welcomed everyone. He said the Chairperson will join the meeting later and he will be the acting Chairperson until the Chairperson is present.

The Committee adopted its agenda for the day.

Ms T Msane (EFF) asked whether the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Acting Director-General and Minister were present.

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini, tendered the apology for Minister Naledi Pandor. She said the Minister was unable to attend because of a Cabinet meeting and had asked her to attend on her behalf.

Mr Zaheer Laher, Acting Chief Director: United Nations (UN) Peace and Security, DIRCO, tendered an apology for the Acting DG. He said he is accompanied by Ambassador Ghulam Asmal and they will be representing DIRCO today.

Ms Msane was not happy that the Acting DG was not present in the meeting. She said the DG’s apology was only tendered after the meeting agenda was adopted.  The DG cannot send deployees to the Committee without informing the Chairperson. The DG and Minister accounts to this Committee and so must prioritise meetings of this Committee. Just sending deployees without informing the Chairperson is disrespectful.  She proposed that the meeting should not continue until the Acting DG was present.

Mr M Chetty (DA) agreed and said DIRCO gave no reason why the Acting DG could not attend today’s meeting. He said the problems run deep in DIRCO and it was only reasonable that the Acting DG attend this meeting.

Ms B Swarts (ANC) said had she known the DG would not be present, she would not have moved to adopt the agenda. It was agreed that the DG should be present for all the Committee’s meetings. She said these presentations are about DIRCO performance in the first and second quarter. This is also the first meeting of DIRCO with an acting DG yet she was not present – this is unacceptable. She said the meeting cannot continue without the Acting DG.

The Chairperson said it must be put on record that the apology for the Acting Director-General was only tendered after the agenda was already adopted.

Mr D Bergman (DA) said this was very distasteful on behalf of DIRCO. This Committee has been played for the last two years and it is disappointing because DIRCO has one of the biggest budgets. There is no accountability within the Department. It was not even bothered to tender an apology.

Rev K Meshoe (ACDP) said there has always been a culture of disrespect by DIRCO for this Committee and Members need to put a stop to it.  A precedent has been set and the DG needs to be the one introducing officials. The Acting DG has been in place for a while now but still has not appeared before the Committee. He agreed that the meeting could not continue.

Mr Laher said he just received a notification from the Acting DG’s Office that she has left the meeting she was attending and will now join the Committee meeting.

Deputy Minister Mashego-Dlamini apologised for this oversight and said the Minister had to attend Cabinet and was disappointed that the Acting DG is not present.

The Chairperson said what Members have raised is important - the people that account to this Committee are the Minister, Deputy Ministers, and the DG. When it comes to DIRCO’s officials, the buck stops with the Acting DG.

Ms Msane proposed that the meeting be closed whether the Acting DG was coming or not.

The Chairperson said the Acting DG coming to the meeting would not change how Members feel. He said if no one has a different view, then the meeting will be closed. He asked the Committee Secretary to read out the apologies that were officially tendered in writing.

The Committee Secretary said there was only one apology which was from the Minister and Mr X Nqola (ANC), who was supposed to join the meeting later.

Ms Swarts said it was clear the Committee meeting was not important to the Acting DG as she was in another meeting.

Meeting adjourned

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